Carton



Patented Sept. 1l, 1934 l UNITED sTATEs PATENT oFFlcE Applicvtilelillli: Stel-:l lll Claims. (Cl. 229-17) This invention relates to cartons of the type having a portion of an exterior wall surfacecommonly made from cardboard, strawboard or thereof defined at least in part by a line of the like, the principal object being the provision perforation or other easily ruptured means and of a carton having an opening therein for the having a cooperating wall of the carton severed 5 discharge or withdrawal of material enclosed along a cooperating but generally spaced line, a 50 thereby, and a closure of novel construction for portion of the wall on one side of the perforation such opening. being secured to a portion of the wall on the cor- Another object is to provide a carton having responding side of the line of severance and the an article withdrawing opening therein and a two cooperating toY form a closure for a discharge l0 flap for closing the opening formed from essenopening for the carton.l 65 tial members of the carton itself. A further object is the provision of a carton Another object is the provision of a carton havhaving a closable discharge opening and particuing a withdrawal opening therein and a flap for -larly adaptable as a container for rolled goods closing the opening which provides an effective goods in wafer-like form, or goods of a pourseal therefor. able natule- Another object is the provision of a carton The abOVB being amOn the Objects 0f the PreS- having e, withdrawal opening therein and a, nap ent invention the same consists in certain features for closing the opening, at least a portion of of construction and combinations of parts to be the flap being formed as an integral part of one hereinafter described with reference to the acof the exterior wall surfaces of the carton. CODIDanyiIlg drawing, and then Claimed, having 75 Anotherobject is the provision of a carton havthe above and other objects in view. ing a portion of a wall surface thereof at least Inthe cmpanying drawing, which illustrates partly defined by a line of perforation and so 011 Suitable embOdiment 0f th present invention arranged that said wall may be severed along the and in which like numerals refer to like parts perforation by a relatively easy manipulation of throughout the several different views, 80 the same whereby said portion may be employed Fig- 1 iS 2f plan View 0f a blank fOr forming a as a flap for covering adischarge opening in the carton in accordance with the present invention.

carton after such severance. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, perspective and par- Another object is` the provision of a carton havtially broken view of a carton constructed from ing a portion of a wall thereof dened by a line of the blank indicated in Fig. 1. 85

perforation and another portion of the'carton Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. 2, but showing overlapping the line of perforation whereby to the discharge opening for the carton exposed and normally form a seal for such perforations. the closure flap therefor in open position.

Another object is the provision of a carton Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view having a discharge opening closable by .a flapv taken perpendicularly through the flap shown 90 formed from two cooperating portions of carin Fig. 3 and a cooperating portion of the carton. tons, the two cooperating portions forming the Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view iiap being so arranged as to eii'iciently seal the taken through the carton and flap as on line flap to the carton to close the opening. 5 5 of Fig. 2.

40 Another object is the provision of a carton 6 is amore-or-less diagrammatic sectional 95' having a discharge opening and a flap for closview taken through the carton shown in previous ing the opening, the free edge of the flap having figures and illustrating its use in connection with portions thereof arranged to overlap cooperarolled material. tive portions of the carton and having other por- Fig. '7 is a view similar to Fig. 6, but showing tions arranged to underlap cooperating portions a carton of slightly modified dimensions such as 100 of the carton. may be employed as a container for wafer-like Another object is the provision of a carton articles such as crackers, or the like. having a discharge opening anda flap for clos- Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawing, I show a ing the opening, the flap having portions thereblank for a carton including portions 10 and 11 of arranged to overlap cooperating portions of .which may serve astop and bottom walls respec- 105 the carton and having another portion thereof tively of the completed carton, portions 12 and 13 adapted to be disposed beneath a cooperating which may serve as back and front walls respecportion of the c arton to maintain the flap in tively, of the carton, aportion 14 which may serve closed position. as one end wall of the carton, and portions 15 and Another object is the provision of a carton 16 which may cooperate to form the remaining 110 l UF: s l

end wall of the carton. Securing flap portions 17 to 22 inclusive may be provided for securing all of the various portions of the carton together in the completed article in accordance with the usual practice. It will be understood, of course, that these various portions are dened from each other by such means as scores 23 to 31 inclusive and by llines of severance 33 to 36 inclusive.

In the particular blank shown, in forming it into a carton, the various flaps 17 to 22 inclusive will preferably, of course, be positioned on the interior of the carton so as to-present a smooth exterior surface therefor. It is particularly desired to call attention to the fact that the flap 21 in the flnis parallel to the score 27 its central portion is curved outwardly as at 43 for a purpose which will presently be apparent. It may be noted, and is to be lso interpretated in the following claims, that the line of severance 40 may be either complete or of an interrupted nature.

That portion of the surface 13 which is to co'- operate with the ap 21 in the nished carton is provided with an aperture 44 and a line 45 of perforations which follow the saine general shape as the line of severance 40 except that its end c portions 46 are spaced apart a slightly greater amount than the end portions 42 and its main portion, which extends parallel to the adjacent edge of the surface 13, is spaced inwardly from the edge a slightly greater amount than the main portion of the line of severance 40 from the score v 27, the reason for all of which will be fully de-v Aperforations is spaced outwardly of the corresponding end portion 42 of the line of severance 40. It will also be observed that the aperture 44 substantially aligns itself with the curved portion 43 of the line of severance 40 and that the corresponding edge of the opening is spaced inwardly of the portion 43. Consequently, the portion of the flap 2l within the part 43 of the line of severance 40 adjacent the opening 44 projects inwardly from the edge of the box relative to the corresponding edge of the opening 44 and under the outer wall of the carton around the cor,- responding margin of the opening 44 as best indicated in Fig. 5, while over substantially the remaining'portion of the box the line of severance 40 is closer to the edge. 55 than the line of perfora tions 45 and consequently that portion of the outer wall of the carton within the line of perforations 45 overlaps the corresponding portion of l theflap 21 outside of thel line of severance 40, as

suggested in Fig. 4. y

With the carton secured together as illustrated in Fig. 2, and supposing that it encloses a material of some suitable description, when it is desired to withdraw Yal1 or part of the contents of the carton, pressure by any suitable means may be applied along the line of perforations to rupture the wall 13 along this line, and then a ngernail may be iserted into the opening 44 and forced outwardly towards the edge 55 of the carton between the wall portion 13 thereof and the ap portion 21 thereof, and then urged outwardly so as to completely break the seal between the two parts. The curved portion of the ap 21 immediately within the curved portion 43 of the line of severance 40 thereof and which is underlying the opposite margin of the opening 44, will resist complete severance along the line of perforations as will also the glue vholding the ap 21 to the wall 13. However, inasmuch as the glued area resisting this movement is relatively small it will readily give way, and the curved underlying portion of the flap 21 will spring back to allow that portion of the wall 13 and the ap 21 between the line of perforations and the edge 55 to be bent upwardly about the edge 55, thereby forming an opening in the carton, and also forming a closure flap, generally indicated at in Fig. 3, for such opening.

It will be observed that except at the central portion, the outer wall portion of the flap 60 projects beyond the inner wall surface thereof so as `to form a shoulder 6l, best indicated in'Fig. 4,

and that the cooperating surface of the carton, when the ilap is in closed position, is provided with complementary stepped surfaces, forming a shoulder 63 complementary to the shoulder 61, so that these stepped surfaces or shoulders form a seal for the edge of the flap when the ap is again closed. It will be observed that the curved portion of the flap portion 21 now forms a tab 62 the margin of which forms a shoulder 64 which underlies the cooperating portion of the cooperating shoulder 69, best indicated in Fig. 5, when the flap is in closed position, and the tab 62 thus provides a means for latching the ap 60 in closed position and maintaining the stepped surfaces of the ap 60 and carton in contacting relation. In closing or opening the flap 60 it will be apparent that lit will be necessary to spring the tab 62, or the cooperating Wall of the carton, or both, but this is relatively easily accomplished.

From the above it will be apparent that there are only two points along the entire free edge of the flap 60 where an overlapped joint is not obtained when the flap 60. is in closed position and after it has once been opened, and these two points occur where the line of severance 40 in the completed carton intersects the line of perforation 45. Accordingly, it will be apparent that the construction above described provides a cart0n in which a discharge opening may be readily formed, and when once formed may be closed in a simple and'efcient manner and so securely in nature as to prevent insects or the like from entering the carton along the edge of the ap.

A carton of the above described type is ideally suitable for the reception of material in rolled form, a common example of which, for instance, is rolls of absorbent cotton such as are commonly found on the market. An adaptation of the present invention for the purpose of containing such roll is indicated in Fig. 6 in which is illustrated a carton 65 of the same general construction as above described and having an opening 66 therein the severed end pushed back through the opening t 66 and theflap 67 closed.

Another use of the carton is illustrated in Fig. 7 in which a carton is indicated generally as at 'I0 and which may beconstructed in a manner similar to that above described and provided with a discharge opening 71 and a closure flap 72.. In this casethe carton is shown as containing thin wafer-like objects 'I3 which may be in the nature of cookies, crackers or other similarly shaped objects.

It will also be apparent that-such cartons 'are admirably suitable for use in connection as containers for bulk materials' of a pourable nature such as various breakfast foods, soap ilakes, salt or o'r anyothe'rdry material capable of a pouringeffect. In such a case' the dimensions of theopening provided in the carton therefor may of course be varied to best suit the conditions to Awhich.' the -carton is'to be put and the flap, of course, madeof a corresponding size and dimensions in accordance with the invention herein disclosed to effect a closure for such opening.

Formal changes may be made in the'speciflc embodiment of the invention described, .without departing from the spirit ofthe broad invention,

.the scope of which is commensurate with the appended claims,

1. In combination, a carton having a fixed wall provided with an opening therein, at least a por tionof-the margin of the wall f said carton' dening said opening being stepped with the outer surface of the wall overhanging the step, and an outwardly swingable closure for said opening l having marginal portions stepped for cooperative engagement with the rst -mentioned stepped,

margins.y

2. In combination, a carton having a fixed wall comprising at least in part two thicknesses of' material, said wall having an opening therein, the edges of said two' thicknesses over at least a part of the margin of said opening being oiset to form a shoulder in the plane of said wall with the outer surface of the wall overhanging the shoulder, and an outwardly swingable closure iiap for said opening hinged to said carton and having an edge complementary to said shouldered edge for en gagement therewith. K 3. In combination, a carton lhaving a wall com- 'prising at lea'st in part two thicknesses of mate' rial, said wall having an opening therein, the edges of said two thicknesses'overat least a part of the margin of said opening being offset to form a shoulder in the plane of said wall with the outer surface of the wall overhanging the shoulder, and an -outwardly swingable closure flap for said opening hingedto said carton, said iiap' comprising tioned shoulders.'

5. In combination, ar'carton having a wall provided with an opening therein, at least a portion of said wall forming the margin of said opening being stepped to form an outwardly facing shoulder and an inwardly facing shoulder, and a closure element for said opening having a stepped edge forming shoulders in the plane thereof for cornplementary engagement with the first mentioned shoulder.

6. In combination, a carton having a wall provided' with an opening therein, at least a portion of said wall forming the margin of said openfing being stepped to form a shoulder in the plane of said wall, a closure nap for said opening -piv-A oted to said carton and having a stepped edge forming a shoulder in the plane of said ap for. engagement with the first mentioned shoulder,

'and a tab on said closure flap adapted to engage that 'surface' of said wall facing oppositely to said shoulder when said fiap is in closed position whereby to maintain said shoulders in substantial contact.

7. In combination, a carton having an opening ln a wall thereof, a flap hinged to said carton along a margin of said opening for effecting a closure for the opening,` the greater remaining part of the margins of said opening being stepped to form an outwardly facing shoulderA in the plane of said wall and the 'cooperating margin of said ilap being complementarily ,stepped to form a complementary shoulder, and a tab on said ap adapted to be sprung in back of a portion of the margin 'of said wall tohold said nap in 'closed' position.

8. In combination,'a carton having an opening in a wall thereof, a flap hinged to said carton along a margin or' said opening for effecting a closure for the opening, the greater remaining part of the margins of said opening being stepped to forman outwardly facing shoulder'in the plane of said wall and the cooperating margin of said flap being complementarily stepped to form a complementary shoulder, a. portionv of said remainder of said margin being stepped in a direction opposite tothe rst mentioned stepped' portion, and a tab on said flap for engagement with said oppositely stepped portion. l-

9. Th'e method of making a carton having a closable opening. therein comprising providing a flap along a margin ofA a wallsection of the blank therefor, forming aline of severance in said flap, forming a line of perforations in that wall section of said blank to which said fiap is to'be secured in the completed carton and in-a position such.

that said lines will cross each other at at least one point b ut will be generally spaced from each -'other in the completed carton, and then completing said 'carton from said blank.

. 10. The method of making a carton having a, i

closable opening-therein comprising forming a blank including wall sections and securing flaps,

forming aline of severance in one of saidapS,

'ist

forming a line of perfcrations in that one of said wall sections -to which said flap is to be secured and in a position to be adjacentto but generally spacedfrom said line of severance in the completed carton except at least one point where said lines crosseaeh other, and then completing said carton from said blank.

WILLIAM E. VILAS. 

